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Thursday, November 20, 2008

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ELIZABETH AND PHILIP!

This day in 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten of Greece and Denmark. Sixty-one years later the couple has survived half a century of Cold War, a radically changing London in the swinging sixties, and a few very testy years concerning the state of the monarchy. Still, they are solid and have had one of the longest marriages in history. Last year on the Queen and Duke’s 60th wedding anniversary, an exhibition ran from November 2007 to September 2008 at Buckingham Palace commemorating that day when post-war England rejoiced in a very royal wedding celebration —just the shot of magic dust the country needed.

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Making their first appearances since 1947 are the royal bridal ensembles. Elizabeth’s gown (above) and the portrait-collared bridesmaid’ gown in the below photo were designed by Norman Hartnell. Hartnell, a brilliant designer had been Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth since 1938. Part of his claim to fame was taking commissions on wedding gowns for European society in the 1930s-40s era. Known for his intricate bead work adorning miles of tulle and satin, with the commission of Elizabeth’s gown, he used an ivory duchesse satin ornamented with thousands of crystals and 10,000 tiny pearls imported from America. He said the elaborately embroidered star designs on the 13-foot train were the inspiration of Botticelli’s Primavera, signifying revival and hope after so many years of war. The tiara pictured below is ‘something borrowed’; Elizabeth wore this priceless jewelled diadem which was especially made for her grandmother Queen Mary.

Bead work and applique on Elizabeth's gown and train. An army of seamstresses worked almost round the clock for eight weeks to complete these gowns.

sourceOne of the eight bridesmaid gowns. The detailed embroidery on the tulle reminds me of something you'd find in Claire Pettibone's collection.

Queen Mary's Tiara

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It is interesting that in an age when closed-toe pumps were standard for formal weddings, Elizabeth went with these little fashionista satin platform sandals with silver buckles and peekaboo toes.
A last note about Elizabeth’s gown: If it weren’t for a savvy restoration team (Keeper of the Robes), her magnificent silk dress would have deteriorated years back. The weight of the bead work over time has weakened the fabric to such a point, in order for it to hang properly, a cotton underskirt had to be constructed to keep the skirt and bodice in one piece.

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About Me

I initially created this space for my clients. Eventually brides looking for that touch of wow found their way here. Draping and playing with fabric started some twenty years back when I did a three-year stint as a bridal fabrics buyer. After that I opened Bridal Alternatives, a custom design studio and ever since have had the opportunity of working with brides who want that extraordinary one-of-a-kind dress. I'm in love with fashion history and re-invention of the past.
Other connections to fashion? I’ve been a columnist for San Francisco Art and Fashion News and have a weekly fashion buzz on One Wed Blog. I founded The Design Project of San Francisco, a networking organization of fashion professionals collaborating their skills and talents on projects. I’m currently working on a book called—you guessed it—'Bride Chic', all about that white gown and very special designer/client relationship. I live with my husband Edgar and Chihuahua Piccalina in Marin County California.
Want to see more of what I do? Check out my site at www.amyjotatum.com or call me 415.258.8204

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Please note some images on Bride Chic are photos from previous shoots and editorials of my collection pieces. Since I do admire other designers work, I’ve also added from online sources to share a different perspective. There’s no profit from the display of these photos -- they are being shown for the informational and educational benefit of brides and aficionados of bridal fashion. I always list my source, providing a link back. If you feel an image here violates your intellectual property and/or copyrights, please email your concerns to me (amyjotatum@gmail.com) and I will gladly remove the photos in question. Thank you!

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